Alternative Spring Break (ASB) is a five-day immersive learning experience for UMBC undergraduate and graduate students to explore the systemic and human dimensions of complex social issues in Baltimore. Participants will spend much of the week in Baltimore City connecting with local leaders, policymakers, organizations, and community members, to gain a nuanced understanding of the resources and challenges related to their topic areas. The program supports students in linking their knowledge and interests to local contexts, and in identifying pathways for long-term community engagement.

This year's ASB program will take place from Monday, March 16 to Friday, March 20, 2026. Participants spend much of the week in small groups, each co-led by UMBC students trained by the Center for Democracy and Civic Life, exploring a specific topic in depth. 

This year's focus areas are:

• Housing Equity and Access
• Justice in Psychiatric Care
• Fostering LGBT+ Belonging in Schools

Complete the ASB 2026 application by December 19, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. EST. Accepted and waitlisted applicants will be notified via email in late January.

ASB is hosted by the Center for Democracy and Civic Life. More information is available on the the Center for Democracy and Civic Life website.

ASB is open for full participation by all undergraduate and graduate students regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, or any other protected category under applicable federal law, state law, and the University's nondiscrimination policy.

Dialogue connects. Dialogue transforms. Join educators and practitioners across Maryland for an interactive symposium on advancing dialogue for belonging, community, and shared action.

We're pleased to invite students, faculty, staff, and community partners to the Dialogue Symposium: Bringing Campuses and Communities Together, hosted at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC). This symposium is collaboratively planned by USM partner institutions - University of Maryland-Baltimore, University of Maryland-Baltimore County, University of Maryland Global Campus, Towson University, and The Universities at Shady Grove. 

SAVE THE DATE: January 29, 2026 | 8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. 
Location: University Center Ballroom, UMBC, 1000 Hilltop Circle, Baltimore, MD 21250 

"Maryland Students Step Out of Their Comfort Zones and into Authentic Community," written by Matt Hoffman, director of the Center for Religion, Spirituality, and Pluralism, was featured on November 10 in Interfaith America's online magazine.

In the article, Hoffman shared how UMBC is continuing to put interfaith work in action via an Advancing Pluralism grant from Interfaith America. "One of the core themes of this past year in The Gathering Space for Spiritual Well-Being at UMBC has been exploration and newness," explains Hoffman. "As the office rolled out two new programs, Bridge Builders and Interfaith Fellows, it was clear that encouraging students to go outside of their comfort zones could be one way to help shift campus culture and create community through authentic relationships."

The UMBC Bridge Builders Program is co-led by Dr. Ciara Christian, co-director of the Center for Social Justice Dialogue, and is a semester-long program focused on dialogue across differences, related to pressing global issues in religious/spiritual spaces, while the UMBC Interfaith Fellows Program is a stipended year-long fellowship program, with curricular (non-credit) and co-curricular experiences to develop student leaders committed to engaging across religious and spiritual traditions.